


you make it easy, darling

by coffeejournal



Category: TOMORROW X TOGETHER
Genre: Love Confessions, M/M, Romance, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, just tyunning being best friends, they just make each other happy ok, who also happened to be in love with each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 15:20:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29262687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coffeejournal/pseuds/coffeejournal
Summary: “You like Hueningkai, don’t you?”It was a question. That was clearly indicated with the way Beomgyu’s voice went up a pitch higher by the end of his sentence. Yet, even with that obvious observation, Taehyun’s mind registered his words as a simple statement.Because maybe it was. Maybe Taehyun liking Hueningkai was as simple as ‘A’ being the first letter of the English lexicon. Maybe it was as simple as the fact that there are numerous constellations in the universe and that no human could ever discover all of them alone. Maybe it was as simple as the fact that the world orbits around the sun, and that it would always be gravitated towards the pull of that glowing ball of fire. Maybe it’s just that simple.Maybe.(Or: Taehyun had always loved Hueningkai, because loving him is simple.)
Relationships: Kang Taehyun/Huening Kai
Comments: 9
Kudos: 100





	you make it easy, darling

**Author's Note:**

> inspired by that one time tyunning talked about confessions on the radio

Somewhere amongst the strewn out papers and discarded notebooks on the floor sat the very distressed form of one Kang Taehyun. 

For God knows how long, he had been trying to comprehend the formulas written on the chemistry book he’s holding, but at the same time, he firmly believes that he will not retain a single piece of information when he’s being distracted by something. Well, actually, not something. _Someone._ And this someone just happened to go by the name Hueningkai. 

Now, Taehyun isn’t the type of student to be easily distracted by anything. In fact, his focus is so strong that sometimes he has to be physically shaken to retract him from his own little world. He’s proud of that; it helps him with both his studies and his work.

So why is today different?

Just as he begins to answer his own question in his head, he hears a voice call him out. “Taehyunie.” 

“Hm?” he responds, attempting to tamp down all the thoughts going haywire inside his mind by staring intently at his book. However, when he doesn't get another reply from Hueningkai, he forces himself to look up to see what the younger may want, completely not expecting him to be right there when he lifts his chin up. Taehyun could’ve sworn he was at least a feet away earlier, how the hell is he only a few centimeters away from his lips now?

And why is that the only thing Taehyun noticed? God.

“You alright there? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Hueningkai chuckles before shaking his head. He tilts his notebook towards Taehyun’s direction. “I just wanted to ask how to solve for the molecular mass again. I keep forgetting the formula.”

That’s how Taehyun finds himself explaining another chemistry concept to the person he desperately wants chemistry with. (Haha, get it?) If Hueningkai has noticed how he stumbled on his words, which is unlike him usually, he doesn’t say anything. Just smiles gently at him and nods, thanking him for his great help. Taehyun wants to tackle him in a hug for being precious, honestly. He is _so_ in love. 

It went on like that for an hour. Hueningkai was minding his own business, writing down numbers on his paper and occasionally muttering some words to himself. Taehyun doesn’t know if it was his imagination but he thinks he heard him say, _“Taehyunie taught me this part, it’s fairly easy when it’s him teaching me._ ” at least twice, most likely thinking that the latter didn’t hear him.

But he did. Taehyun did. It is partly why he could hardly put his focus back on his own notes—because Hueningkai is like that. Every now and then, when Taehyun averts his vision from the chemical formulas written on his notebook, his eyes catch a glimpse of the boy beside him. He looks effortlessly beautiful, clad in a loose hoodie and face bare of any makeup, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration as his knuckles brush against the piece of paper he’s currently scribbling on. When he’s not too caught up with a problem, he eases his grip from his pen, lets out a sigh and hums along to the song playing in the background. Sometimes he turns his head towards Taehyun’s direction and smiles softly for whatever reason. Taehyun pretended not to notice.

But once again, he did. Of course he did. He noticed and _still_ notices every little thing that Hueningkai does. Not because they’re loud and massive gestures, but simply because it’s Hueningkai who does them.

And Taehyun loves Hueningkai. 

A sigh escapes his lips as he closes the material he’s holding. He’s not learning anything anyway so what’s the point of having it open? Taehyun sets the book down on his lap and proceeds to tilt his head back, leaning against the seat of the couch behind him and closing his eyes in the process. With only the [music](https://open.spotify.com/track/7o8vTKpUe6GvlssjGhZk7d?si=s3kr4vpBR5amVR4iai2tsw) filling in the silence of the almost empty dorm, Taehyun allows himself to listen.

_Paint me in trust, I’ll be your best friend_

The song is so gentle, with soft strumming of an instrument accompanying the mellow voice of the singer. Taehyun recognizes her from the numerous times Hueningkai had played her discography. He opens his eyes, and turns to look at the younger. 

_Call me the one, this night just can’t end_

Hueningkai is already peering at him with a tender gaze. Taehyun laughs lightly, “Is this your playlist again?” 

_Oh, will you share your soul with me?_

He replies with a nod and a bright smile. Then, with one final shining glance at Taehyun, he turns his attention back to the coffee table they used as a study desk. Taehyun’s eyes remained on him, though. He doesn’t know if he’s allowed to look at him like that, but in a brief moment of bravery, he permits himself to do so. He lets his gaze trace the features that make up Hueningkai—from the way his hair is tousled over his eyelids, to the slope of his nose, to the shape of his lips. Taehyun’s eyes travel the expanse of Hueningkai’s skin, noting the slight tinge of red on his cheeks and how the light hits his face in such a magnificent way Taehyun starts to wonder if this is still his best friend he’s looking at, or an angel that stepped down from heaven to grace him with his presence. 

Taehyun watches as Hueningkai picks up a cookie from the plate atop one of the books and lifts the snack to his mouth. He chews a little before his lips curve a little upwards, saying, “I can feel your eyes on me, you know.”

It snaps Taehyun out of his reverie, and for one second he almost forgets where he’s at or what Hueningkai has just said, but thankfully his brain is quick to come up with a lame excuse. “There’s something on your face.”

Hueningkai holds his hand up to the right side of his mouth and attempts to clean the ‘something’ on his face but unfortunately misses it, because, well, the crumb is located on the left side. 

Without thinking twice, Taehyun reaches for the stain, fingers making contact with Hueningkai’s lips as he wipes the mess off his face. When he realizes what he’s doing, he freezes for a minute. But the tension doesn’t last too long, and in a way, Taehyun knows it never will. Not when Hueningkai is there to brighten up the atmosphere with a singular smile. 

They share a soft giggle before they separate themselves from the other. Hueningkai goes back to his notes and Taehyun opens up his book once more, heart beating rapidly against his ribcage. He swallows the lump in his throat as his eyes skim over the atomic numbers written on the page, attempting to calm himself from further turmoil. 

He’s never been like this with Hueningkai. All he feels when he’s in his presence is comfort and warmth, but now that he’s had a realization about how he truly sees his best friend, suddenly everything is suffocating. He feels breathless when he’s close, the butterflies in his stomach won’t stop rioting, it’s like he downed ten cups of coffee in one sitting with the way his heart won’t halt its intense pounding. Everything feels too much, and he wants to do something about it. 

But as he steals another glance at Hueningkai, all coherent thoughts in his brain immediately get thrown out the window. Taehyun sighs deeply to himself, slumping further into his position on the floor. He thinks back to the events that lead him here, and wonders what would have happened if Beomgyu had never asked him that question.

— • —

It was a lovely afternoon.

Beomgyu, Hueningkai and Taehyun all agreed to take a little stroll as they made their way home. They stopped by a convenience store to buy themselves some snacks and decided that whoever loses in a short rock, paper, scissors game would enter the shop and purchase food for all. With a groan after using paper against the other two’s scissors, Hueningkai stepped into the well-ventilated area.

Taehyun tilted his wrist towards his face to check the time on his watch, and saw that there were only seven minutes left before the clock would strike 6:00 in the evening. He brought his hand down and looked up, admiring the hues of oranges and pinks swirling together to create a unique masterpiece in the sky.

It was mostly silent around the place, save for the sounds from the vehicles passing by the road near them. Beomgyu leaned against one of the poles by the sidewalk, arms crossing over his chest as he watched Taehyun enjoy the early evening. “Hey, Taehyun-ah.”

Taehyun turned his head towards his hyung and raised an eyebrow. “Yeah?”

Without hesitation, the older asked, “You like Hueningkai, don’t you?”

It was a question. That was clearly indicated with the way Beomgyu’s voice went up a pitch higher by the end of his sentence. Yet, even with that obvious observation, Taehyun’s mind registered his words as a simple statement. 

Because maybe it was. Maybe Taehyun liking Hueningkai was as simple as ‘A’ being the first letter of the English lexicon. Maybe it was as simple as the fact that there are numerous constellations in the universe and that no human could ever discover all of them alone. Maybe it was as simple as the fact that the world orbits around the sun, and that it would always be gravitated towards the pull of that glowing ball of fire. Maybe it’s just that simple. 

Maybe. 

He didn’t have time to think too much about it or even come up with a proper response because Hueningkai was already exiting the store, hands holding up plastic bags. He shook his fists excitedly. “Got us the snacks! Can we go home now?” 

Taehyun didn’t know what happened in the split second between Beomgyu’s question and Hueningkai stepping into his personal space. He was not entirely sure what it was, but all of a sudden there was a tug on his heart, and then a short moment of calm, before everything came crashing down on him like an unforeseeable avalanche. Hueningkai wasn’t doing anything special, the setting wasn’t too grand and his hair was a mess due to the windy afternoon, but he was smiling so brightly Taehyun was certain he could easily dethrone the sun. His eyes were crinkled into small crescents and his teeth were flashing him a toothy grin. His cheeks were rising up near his eyes, a faint shade of red on them, and he looked so _goddamn_ beautiful. 

When Taehyun was younger, he had once asked somebody older than him what it would be like to love someone. He received a fond smile and a pat on his head, and then the response came, “Well, true love should simply feel the same as happiness. The person you love should make you happy, and you should make them happy in return. It’s that simple.” 

As his eyes lingered on Hueningkai’s smile, it hit Taehyun. 

_This_ is what love should feel like. He found it in the way Hueningkai’s lips curved upwards, in that bubbly laughter that escaped his throat. It was in his wish for Hueningkai’s smile to never fade away, and in his desire to always be the one putting it there on his lips. 

This is love. And Taehyun found it in one Kai Kamal Huening.

In the background, he heard a boisterous laugh. He blinked, snapping himself out of his little daydream. He averted his attention to Beomgyu, who was chortling quite loudly at him. He felt heat creep up his cheeks. 

“Uhm, what’s happening?” Hueningkai had inquired. Unfortunately, he never got a response as Taehyun stepped forward to put Beomgyu in a head lock while the latter ducked and ran to escape. Hueningkai had no choice but to go after them with a call of, “Guys, wait!”

  
  


— 

Later that night, Taehyun lay awake on his bed. The rest of the boys had probably already fallen asleep, and he would usually be too at this hour but somehow, he can’t will himself to fall into slumber. Instead, his mind continued to run miles per minute, firing questions after questions, none of which Taehyun knew the answer to. 

Has he always felt like this for Hueningkai? Probably. Has he ever felt that twinge of pain every time Hueningkai mentions another person in their conversations? Yeah, most likely. Has he ever considered that maybe he’s always loved Hueningkai, but it was just never realized? God. 

As it dawned on him that everything he has ever done for Hueningkai was done out of love, he turned his head and let out a muffled groan into his pillow. Sure, he could easily convince himself that the love he has for Hueningkai is platonic, that he’s always loved him because this is his best friend he’s thinking about. He could tell himself that this is _normal_ , that there is nothing wrong with wanting to keep your best friend happy because that’s what friendships are for, right?

Right. Yeah, sure. Taehyun could tell himself that. Except he also knew that friends don’t think of kissing each other, that friends don’t wonder about the feeling of their fingers slotting in between yours when you hold hands, revelling in the way they fit perfectly. Friends don’t and _should never_ think of each other like that, lest they want to risk losing whatever they have. If there’s one thing that Taehyun had learned from every book of codes regarding friendships, it’s that.

So, maybe, Taehyun wanted to risk it. 

Or maybe he’s just being extremely dumb.

Before his thoughts could suffocate him more, he sat up from his position and proceeded to get down his bed, tiptoeing his way out of the room. Subconsciously, his feet dragged him towards the direction of his hyungs’ door. He knocked, but upon not getting a response, he decided to just twist the knob and let out a soft noise of surprise when it didn’t budge. Usually, Beomgyu would be locking the door before sleeping. Taehyun guessed he got lucky tonight.

He took a step into the dark room, voice preparing to call out for his hyung when the latter beat him into making a sound.

“Soobin hyung?” he had called out. He sounded sleepy, voice a little scratchy and heavy, like he was just rudely awoken by an unwanted presence. Guess where the finger was pointing at.

“Sorry to disappoint,” Taehyun whispered. “It’s me.”

There was a yawn. “Not disappointed.” A pause. “Well if you’re staying here, might as well just close that door and lock it now.”

Taehyun’s hand hovered over the knob, contemplating whether he should oblige or not. He didn’t want to lock Soobin out of his own room, but at the same time, he wanted to have this conversation with Beomgyu alone.

He heard some rustling from where Beomgyu was lying down, the sound then followed by a soft chuckle. “Don’t worry, Tyun; it’s Soobin hyung. That dude is way too fond of you, he wouldn’t mind you locking him out. Besides it’s his fault for not coming in here earlier anyway. He can go sleep in your room instead.”

When he realized that his hyung had made multiple points, he pushed the door close and pressed on the lock. Then, with barely any light guiding him, he made his way to Beomgyu’s bed. His steps were tentative as he explored the dark room, afraid that if he took one wrong step he might walk over something on the very _interesting_ bedroom floor that Beomgyu and Soobin share. Who knew what kind of mess awaited Taehyun there.

His hands reached out and attempted to look for hard furniture and a soft mattress, but what met his touch instead was a pair of arms tugging him closer to collide with another body. He was barely able to let out a squeak as Beomgyu engulfed him in a hug, the older’s legs carelessly draping themselves over Taehyun’s frozen ones. But as his hyung sighed into his hair, the younger melted into his embrace. He let out a sigh of his own and snuggled his head shamelessly into Beomgyu’s chest.

“Hyung,” Taehyun started, voice barely above a whisper. “You’re right. I do like Hueningkai.”

He paused as he let the confession ring in the silent room. Saying it out loud felt a little strange, and kind of relieving in a way, but there’s still this weird feeling in his chest. “I like him so much, hyung. And not in a platonic way at all. What am I supposed to do with this feeling?”

Silence followed his question. Taehyun thought that maybe Beomgyu had fallen asleep again so he looked up to check, but his head was forced to face downwards as the older digged his chin gently atop Taehyun’s hair.

“What are you supposed to do with that feeling?” he echoed Taehyun’s question. “Well, that’s up to you, Tyun. What do you want to do about it? Do you want to confess to him?”

That made him pause. He didn’t think that far, but to be fair, the realization was still fresh. He couldn’t be blamed for the lack of a proper plan, now could he? He sighed into Beomgyu’s chest.

“I don’t know, hyung. Rejection is a massive possibility, and I’d rather not go through that.”

From his position, he could hear the steady beating of Beomgyu’s heart, and it made him think about the countless times his own was erratic when Hueningkai was this close to him. The younger never made him uncomfortable; no, all he ever did was make sure that Taehyun felt well and that he’s always happy. (If Taehyun admits that he’s the happiest when he’s around Hueningkai, that’s just for him to know. For now.) 

Still, there was this little quaint feeling in his ribcage that made him jittery whenever the taller was in close proximity. He never learned what it was, and he never bothered to figure it out either. He shrugged it off as nothing, even with the knowledge that his heart only jumped when it’s Hueningkai. 

Taehyun sighed when he realized that _that_ minute emotion should have been a clear indication that there was already something more brewing in the depths of his heart, and that it was solely for Hueningkai. Because when the others tugged him closer to their bodies, he never struggled with the dilemma of succumbing into their hold or completely pulling away in fear that they would hear his rattling heart. It’s just with Hueningkai. 

Only him and always him.

His thoughts came to a halt when Beomgyu spoke up in the quietness of the late night. “But what if he likes you too?”

Taehyun lifted his head from its previous position and looked up to meet the gentle gaze of his hyung. “Do you really think that?”

Beomgyu gave him a soft smile, eyes closing slightly with drowsiness. “Well, I don’t want to give you false hope.” He inhaled, the rest of his answer coming out in an exhale. “But I don’t want you to lose faith either. There is only one way to know how Hyuka feels, now is there? You’re smart enough to know that, Tyun.”

Taehyun let out another sigh and closed his eyes, head falling back in between his hyung’s arms. In a muted tone, he uttered, “Thank you, Beomgyu hyung.”

He felt a soft hand caress his hair, a gentle kiss left on the top of his head. Beomgyu wrapped his arms around Taehyun once more, pulling him closer to his chest. It’s not said, but the hug felt a lot like some silent encouragement. “Take all the time you need, Taehyun. Hueningkai is just there.” 

And he would agree. Usually, he would. Except Taehyun knows that there’s also a chance that Hueningkai might not be available soon, that anyone could make him swoon and fall in love, that anyone could take him away from Taehyun. 

But he isn’t his in the first place, never was. _Never would be_ , Taehyun firmly stated to himself. _Hueningkai is his own person, never to be anybody else’s._

He nestled his head deeper into the space between Beomgyu’s shoulder and neck, letting one last thought run through his mind before he gave in to slumber.

_But I wish I could be allowed to be his person too._

— • —

They were supposed to study.

It’s been three days since Taehyun had a realization that hit him like an unexpected catastrophe, and they were supposed to study. Beomgyu, Hueningkai, and him. With an upcoming exam the following day, Taehyun had expected that Beomgyu would finally join them in studying instead of always pretending to read but actually sleeping behind a book. But as their hyungs announced that they’re going out to run an errand, Beomgyu leaped from his seat and immediately discarded the notebook he was just about to open.

“Hold on!” He called out, hastily putting on his shoes as he caught up with Yeonjun and Soobin. “I’m coming with you.”

“You said you were going to study with us!” Hueningkai whined. 

Beomgyu turned to give him a sheepish smile, hand scratching the back of his neck. “I already studied last night, so you two can just stay here and study.”

There was a scoff in the background. “Studying. As far as I can remember you were busy gaming with me, what are—”

Soobin didn’t get to finish his sentence as Beomgyu clasped a hand over his mouth and used his other arm to push the taller male out of the door. Yeonjun just watched everything unfold in amusement. 

“Well, if that’s the case,” Taehyun spoke up. “Maybe I should join you too. I understood most of the basic concepts anyway. I can study the rest later.”

Beomgyu promptly shook his head at the suggestion. “No, nope, uh-uh. Not allowing you to do that. Nope. Stay there.”

Taehyun rolled his eyes. “You can’t tell me what to do.”

“I’m your hyung.”

“You’re only a year older than me.”

“I’m _still_ your hyung,” Beomgyu sighed exasperatedly. “Anyway, Hueningkai needs a little help understanding the conversion of, wait, what do you call it—ah, whatever. That. He needs help with that.”

“You said you studied already, right? Why can’t you—” 

“Yeah, but you said you understand the lesson, so why don’t you—”

In the middle of their playful bantering, Yeonjun cleared his throat. “Let us know when you’re done bickering like an old married couple. We still have to get going.”

“Alright, alright, bye Hueningie, bye Taehyunie!” Beomgyu waved, winking at Taehyun and raising his eyebrows teasingly at him. As much as Taehyun wanted to wipe that smug look on his face, he didn’t miss the way the older’s eyes softened at him. Beomgyu gave him a knowing look, lips curving into a gentle smile. Then, with one last nod, he’s off.

That was approximately an hour ago. 

Now here Taehyun is, alone with the subject of his admiration and a pile of papers and notebooks around them. Taehyun still couldn’t focus on the chemical equations staring back at him from his book but he somehow managed to solve at least three problems while suffering in silence with all the emotions clogging up both his heart and brain. Well, that was until he hears a thud sounding suspiciously like a head dropping atop the pages of an open book. 

Sure enough, when he turns his gaze towards the other person in the room, the sight of a sleeping Hueningkai greets him. His head is tilted in a way that is facing Taehyun, hair falling gently across his closed eyes. He looks so peaceful like this, so beautiful and serene as steady puffs of breath tumble off his lips. Taehyun wishes he could capture this image and hang up the photograph in an art gallery where his beauty could be appreciated by many, but discards the idea, allowing himself to be a little selfish and keeping the vision for himself.

Once again, Taehyun finds himself subconsciously reaching out to touch Hueningkai, as if he was made to gravitate towards the younger. It was as if he is the Earth, and his best friend is the sun—always being pulled towards his warmth, always longing for his light, always, _always_ orbiting around him. 

Taehyun remembers how Hueningkai rarely gets cold, that even in the most frigid temperature he doesn’t shiver easily. Taehyun wonders if maybe it’s because his best friend _is_ the sun, maybe that’s why he’s always warm. If Hueningkai ever says he is a celestial body, Taehyun would most likely believe him. There’s no way a mortal could radiate the same allure as his best friend does.

He chuckles as his fingers delicately tuck a strand of hair behind Hueningkai’s ear, letting out a fond sigh as he absentmindedly whispers, “God, I like you so much.”

As the words echo within the almost empty room, Taehyun freezes. It took him approximately ten seconds before he realized what he just said out loud. But upon sparing a glance at Hueningkai, he just inhales deeply before continuing. “Well, you can’t hear me anyway, might as well just let all these feelings out before I change my mind.” 

His knuckles brush against Hueningkai’s slightly rosy cheeks. “I like you. If I’m braver I might even go as far as saying that I love you. Maybe even admit that I am in love with you, while I’m at it,” he chuckles to himself. “And I guess I always have, you know? It’s always been there, lurking in the seams of my soul. Hiding beneath our touches, in between the words of our conversations. It’s always been there, I just never thought that it was possible to love you that way.”

“You’re my best friend,” he utters, words laced with yearning. “And best friends aren’t supposed to mix love into the concoction of friendship, but here I am anyway, hopelessly and madly in love with you.”

The song playing softly in the background fades into a [new one](https://open.spotify.com/track/3ZiuxcBeRanTjfHzVBuuQe?si=Jqy1BAZfRV6OB_2UA2ICHA), and Taehyun recognizes that it was still from the same artist as before. “If you ask me why I love you, I genuinely don’t have any idea if I would give you a long list or a blank page, because,” he inhales. “Because I just do. And because it’s you, Kai.”

Taehyun pauses, and in that short moment of silence from him, dodie sings, _“Oh, would you be so kind as to fall in love with me?”_

It wasn’t supposed to be funny, but the timing of the lyrics is so impeccable that Taehyun lets out a soft giggle to himself. “Yeah, would you be so kind as to fall in love with me, Hueningkai?” The laughter dies in his throat as he’s reminded of something. “I don’t have the right to tell you what to do but I hope you stop seeking love from people who can’t give it to you and maybe start looking at _me_.”

“I’m not saying I’m the best choice out of everyone, because I don’t even know if I’m a choice in the first place but,” Taehyun continues, slightly surprised with the amount of words he’s spilled in less than five minutes. “I can love you well, Hueningie. I can love you well because I’ve been loving you this whole time already. I just hope you can give me a chance.”

The song is still playing in the background by the time Taehyun drops his hand from Hueningkai’s face. He takes one last look at the younger and scoots away to avoid bothering him further but he never had the chance to even move an inch because a hand is gently wrapping around his wrist.

“Say that to my face, idiot.”

All the color in Taehyun’s face fades as soon as he hears his best friend’s voice. His limbs are frozen as he watches the younger lift his head up from the makeshift desk. Hueningkai yawns before his line of sight focuses on the dumbfounded Taehyun, who replies with, “I did say it to your face. You were just sleeping.” 

Hueningkai gives him an unimpressed look. “I mean say it to my face when I can hear you. You didn’t even give me a chance to respond.”

“But you did hear me,” Taehyun argues. Heat creeps up his cheeks as it registers in his mind. “Oh my god, you heard me.” 

Taehyun tries to move further away in embarrassment but Hueningkai just uses his hand that was still on Taehyun’s wrist to drag him towards his body. Taehyun almost slams his face against the floor because of the force, but thankfully, Hueningkai removes his hand from his wrist and holds him by his waist instead. When Taehyun looks up, his cheeks burn a brighter shade of red because there was barely no space between their faces and his lungs are currently depriving him of oxygen due to the lack of distance. 

“Yes, I did,” Hueningkai replies eventually. “I heard you. But before you accuse me that I didn’t actually sleep, I did. I just woke up when you suddenly decided to let William Shakesphere take over your body and started waxing poetic out of nowhere. Actually, I thought you were talking to somebody on the phone,” he pauses as he inhales, the volume of his voice going down as he finishes his sentence. “And then you said my name.”

In the background, [the song](https://open.spotify.com/track/6PJ8FF6UR8FZXfEvpHkIVN?si=qGrUTbvQS2-AlkID4bf8iQ) switches again. Now, Ed Sheeran is softly crooning in the quiet confines of their room. Taehyun finds it funny how the sequence of the songs fit the scenario they are in, like this was a movie where he and Hueningkai are the main characters and the songs are part of the OST. 

But this isn’t a film, because he can feel the palm of Hueningkai pressing against the small of his back. He can feel the warm exhale escaping both of their mouths, and he can feel the thumping of his heart inside his chest.

_How would you feel,_

“I mean it,” Taehyun eventually responds. “Although this is not the confession I had in mind, I mean every single word I said. It’s embarrassing you had to hear it while I was ranting, but all of it is true. I like—no, I _love_ you, Kai.”

_If I told you I loved you?_

Hueningkai’s lips parts as he lets out a short exhale. He stays silent, the confession lingering in the small gap between their faces. Taehyun was ready to assure him that he shouldn’t feel obligated to feel the same way, because even if it would hurt him, his utmost priority is to respect his best friend.

But then Hueningkai is giggling softly and resting his forehead on Taehyun’s shoulder. “I love you too, dumbass,” he murmurs fondly. “And just like you, I always have. The people I talked about? I never liked them. I can’t even recall that I said I did, so I don’t know how you came to that assumption, but to be perfectly clear, I don’t like them.”

He raises his head to meet Taehyun’s eyes. “I can’t give them my heart because it has always been yours.”

It feels easy. 

A weight has been lifted off Taehyun’s shoulders and now he’s no longer burdened by the idea of being rejected because Hueningkai is right in front of him, telling him he loves him too. As if it was the easiest thing to say. As if it was the simplest thing to do.

Giggles bubble in Taehyun’s chest, and the giddiness climbs its way up to his throat before it escapes through his lips. Euphoria fills the smallest spaces in his system as it sinks in that his love is requited. He doubles over, laughing as the feeling takes a hold of his body and soon Hueningkai is cackling with him, most likely in the same state of elation as him.

When they calm down, Taehyun’s eyes meet Hueningkai’s glimmering ones before they travel down to where his lips are. He looks up again, gaze asking for permission. Once he gets it with a nod, he leans in, eyes closing at the sensation.

But before they could close the gap between them, there was a loud sound of the door being opened, followed by raucous laughter. One of the voices came to a screeching halt, and soon he was cursing and urging the others to exit the room. He received questioning sounds before the ruckus faded into silence again.

While all this was happening, both Taehyun and Hueningkai were frozen in their position. Once the racket is over though, their bodies move on autopilot and suddenly they are doubling over in laughter again. Taehyun leaned his head above Hueningkai’s shoulders, giggles escaping his lips uncontrollably. The latter isn’t doing any better, with his blaring cackles sounding in the room and beating the song in the background.

Every time they think that they’re done with their laughing fit, they would meet each other’s eyes and their lips would curve up with exhilaration and then they’re cracking up again. It went on like that for a few minutes before Taehyun eventually stood up from his position.

“Where are you going?” Hueningkai asks, hand on his stomach as he tries to tamp down all the remaining laughter in his system. 

Taehyun chuckles. “To let our hyungs in. I don’t know how Beomgyu hyung had managed to haul the asses of two people taller than him out the door, but I do know that they’re probably just standing there outside.”

Hueningkai seems satisfied with the answer so he just nods. Taehyun walks towards the door, hand hovering over the knob as he reaches his destination. Before he could twist it in his hold, he looks back at Hueningkai. 

His eyes are still set on Taehyun. And he looks _so_ beautiful like that, with eyes shining and face filled with fervor. He grins at Taehyun once more before he turns his attention back to his notes, a smile still displayed on his lips.

Taehyun has his own plastered on his face as he admires Hueningkai from afar. He thinks back to the question that led him here, and how his mind had suggested that maybe liking Hueningkai was as simple as the fact that the world orbits around the sun, and how it would always be gravitated towards the pull of that glowing ball of fire. He remembers it, and now he recognizes it too.

Loving Hueningkai is simple. It’s not grand, it’s not detrimental—it simply just is.

Because Hueningkai is synonymous to love, and that’s why Taehyun finds it so simple to feel it for him.

**Author's Note:**

> if you finished this fic, i just want to say thank you!!! this is the first fic i've ever published here and frankly i still have no idea what i'm doing but i truly appreciate it if you took the time to read this ily :(( and also massive thanks to brs (i won't tag you all, you already know who you all are) for putting up with me while i work on this i love u!!!! ok that's it thank you for reading this mwa ♡


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